FERC chair discloses brain tumor, surgery, says he will continue work

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Dive Brief:

The chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission was diagnosed with a brain tumor last year, but has continued to work full time after his treatment, he said in a Monday statement.

Chairman Kevin McIntyre wrote that doctors discovered a "relatively small" brain tumor through an "incidental finding" last summer. He then "underwent successful surgery" and received post-operative treatment while maintaining his "usual active lifestyle, including working full time."

The announcement follows questions last year about a delay in seating McIntyre on the commission. The chairman was confirmed by the Senate on Nov. 2, but did not take his seat until more than a month later.

Dive Insight

McIntyre's brief Monday statement does not directly address the delay in taking his seat on the commission, but it adds context to the situation that the chairman had previously blamed on the need to "unravel" his commitments at Jones Day, the Cleveland-based law firm where he worked prior to his confirmation.

McIntyre said he released the statement due to "numerous inquiries" on his health from "friends and colleagues, energy industry contacts and others."

“Given the interest in this matter, I have chosen to issue this statement disclosing a health issue that arose unexpectedly last summer," he wrote. "Through an incidental finding, i.e., a medical issue discovered by accident, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor."

"I was very fortunate that the tumor was relatively small, that I had no symptoms, and that I was otherwise in excellent health," he added.

McIntyre then underwent surgery, "followed by the post-operative treatment that is the standard of care for my situation." He did not disclose the date of the operation, but wrote that it did not interfere with his work at FERC.

"I was advised at the time that, with the surgery and subsequent treatment behind me, I should expect to be able to maintain my usual active lifestyle, including working full time," he wrote, "and that expectation has proven to be accurate."

McIntyre said he will not release more information on his health for "reasons of personal and family privacy," but thanked the "unwavering support" of the "White House, Congress, and the FERC." He is set to preside over FERC's next open meeting, this Thursday, March 15, at 10 a.m.